


In the Cards

by Ribby



Category: The Prestige
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-03
Updated: 2006-11-03
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/160057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ribby/pseuds/Ribby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The truth is always in the cards, but it depends on the questions you ask.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Cards

**Author's Note:**

> This was sparked by a remembered game I used to play in grade school, a solitaire much like the one Borden's playing here. We used it, of course, to ask questions about the boys we had crushes on... but Borden would use it for much more serious purposes. And the world being what it is, he'd get the answers he most wanted--and dreaded.

  
Borden eyed the cards in front of him wearily. Almost an hour of practice, and his hands were still tripping him up. Time for a change of pace.

He dealt out a hand of solitaire and began playing desultorily. At the edge of his memory were his sisters, playing a version of solitaire that let them ask questions of the cards, and without thinking, he pulled the four kings out of the deck and reshuffled it--perfectly.

 _Hmmm... maybe I can do it if I don't think too hard. But as long as I have these, let's see what the cards say._

He remembered that it was traditional to name the four kings, so he shuffled them and dealt, naming them as they fell.

He was the King of Diamonds. He remembered, from an old fortune-telling book he'd found as a child, the description for the that card: "A fair-haired or graying man. A man of authority, status, or influence." Not exactly appropriate, but then, this _was_ only a game.

Angier was Spades. "A dark-haired man. An ambitious man, perhaps self-serving." _How appropriate._

Fallon came up as Hearts: "A fair-haired man with a good nature. Fair, helpful advice; an affectionate, caring man. This man helps you out without much talk. His actions reveal his kindness and concern." The first frisson of doubt went down his spine. That was far too close to the truth. But it was just luck. _I won't let it be anything else._

That left Clubs for Angier's double: "A dark-haired man. A generous, spirited man." That surprised a snort out of him. _Spirited? Oh definitely. And Fallon would be better to speak about "generous" than I._ He resolutely ignored the stab of jealousy at that thought.

Looking over the kings, he was a little startled at how the cards had fallen. He thought again about stopping... but a little voice reminded him that it was just a game.

 _So, how did they do it? Oh yes--ask a question and deal the cards, and the suit that matches is your answer. Let's start with something easy._

Thankful that no one was there to overhear him, he murmured, "Who is the Great Danton?", shuffled and dealt. And stopped as a spade flipped over on Angier's column.

 _Luck, that's all. Just luck._

So he tried again, just to make sure. "Who is Le Professeur?" and dealt... and the deal bypassed his column and flipped a diamond on Fallon's.

He shivered... Fallon had been the one on stage that day. This was getting a little too close for comfort. But now that he knew he could ask and find truth, he couldn't stop.

Closing his eyes, still afraid but resolute, he let the next question come. "Who loves Sarah?" Flip...flip...flip... and a diamond on his card. He took a deep breath and asked the next one: "Who loves Olivia?" Flip...flip...flip... and two cards slid out of his hand, a diamond to fall on his King and a spade for Angier's. _Oh god... I have to stop. But maybe, just maybe, I can ask the question..._

Trembling, he spoke once more. "Who killed Julia?" Flip...flip....flip... and an ace of diamonds fluttered down to his king. "No!" he cried out, grateful there was no-one in the workshop to hear him. With a spasmodic jerk of his hands, he swept the cards to the floor and retreated, still shaking, to his own rooms.

The King of Spades fluttered to the floor, covered by the Ace of Spades. Had Borden remained, he might have understood the meaning: "Misfortune; sometimes associated with death or, more often, a difficult ending, to the dark King."


End file.
